Keeping It Up

Alright here's an update for those that care....

Things are going excellent. I'm maintaining the raw diet and feel excellent. I think I can honestly say my endo hasn't bugged me once this past week. In addition I was able to run 4 (or was it 5?) days last week. Hiiiiyah! My goal of not having any non vegan/cooked sweets every night was met. I didn't really think about it really, so it was a non-issue. As expected I did have one "free" meal this past week. David and I headed to Cleveland Saturday and ate at Tommy's. Tommy's has a variety of foods, including many vegetarian and vegan options. So although my "free" meal was cooked, it was still vegan. At the same meal I had a tofu-shake. I guess I can't say I went 3 weeks without ice cream. Ah well. It was my first experience with Tofutti and I loved it. So technically, I've been vegan this entire past week. I'm not really into having to fit into a label so I'm not real sure where I fit yet....vegan/vegetarian. I'm definitely more than vegetarian but at the same time I haven't thrown out my leather belts, shoes, and all. So, that has yet to be determined.

A few more things I've noticed while going raw.....

It's expensive. At least to get started. Buying all the spices, nuts, fruits, and appliances adds up fast. With that being said, we're not eating out half as much, and when we do it tends to be a lot less. So, I'm hoping over time the expense wains. Even so, right now I'll take it. When you feel good and not in constant discomfort it's worth the expense.

I've always been adamant about being out of the kitchen. I despised cooking. I found it intense and non-relaxing. However, over the past few weeks I've spent more time in the kitchen than I've probably spent in my entire life. Cleaning, cutting, chopping, mixing. In addition I'm compiling recipes that I think are do-able. I'm having fun experimenting with the new dehydrator. I've already made some rockin' fruit leathers AKA fruit rollups and have some cinnamon apples dehydrating now. I also have cut-up potatoes marinating in vinegar right now so I can pop those in tomorrow, making salt and vinegar "chips."

When I sit down to eat a meal I've found that I get fuller faster. With that being said, I still need to watch my daily intake. It's easy to snack and not realize it.

So, this raw food thing is working out quite well. I don't know if I necessarily have a goal for this week. I think the plan is to maintain what I got going and see where it leads.

Raw-some

I've been going raw for 2 weeks now. The first few days were rough, but I'm digging it now. Although it's not quite second nature just yet, I'm getting there. I don't have to think about it as much now....What am I going to eat? What things can I put together to make a smoothie? Ideas for salad dressings. I'm coming along.

I'm not 100% raw, nor will I ever be, however I have been giving myself a "treat" every night, for instance, a few pieces of candy. In addition I allowed myself one meal a week that wasn't raw. I'm ready to take the next step. My challenge to myself this week is no "treats" at night. I haven't decided if I'm going to give myself my one meal a week this week or not. I have time to think about it. And if I do choose to give myself that meal, that will be the next thing I plan to cut out. Of course there will be times where we'll go out to eat and I'll allow myself to have a different dressing instead of the ol' vinegar and oil. When I'm at home it's easier to have more raw choices, given that I can make homemade dressings. I'm going to try my hardest to stick to raw options while eating out. At the same time I won't lose sleep over things that I don't have much power over. A salad, even with a non-raw dressing is still better than a burger (even if it is veggie).

Although people may see this as depriving myself of my wants I see it differently. It's just changing my mindset and eating patterns. In the end I feel better not having those things, it's just getting past the "want phase." Not to mention, I love challenges like this that I place on myself. It allows me to prove to myself that I am a mentally strong person and that I can do it if I put my mind to it....i know, cliche', but it is what it is.

So, with this diet change, these are the things I've noticed so far....

Last I checked I had lost about 5 pounds. Hmm, not too bad in my opinion. Especially, when I get to snack on things during the day....good things, of course. And this weight loss isn't even with steady running. With going on a business trip/work schedule/snow, I've been unable to keep a steady running schedule. Still trying to get to 3-4 times a week runs. That's getting better too. So I will only hope that the diet change and steady running may produce further weight loss, even though it's not my number one goal with changing my diet.

I was anticipating that traveling might throw a wrench in my diet. Not so. I was able to pack fruits that didn't require refrigeration and made up the rest of my meals with salads out and about.

My facial skin/complexion feels softer. It's not perfect, but just a littler softer and less bumpy.

My endo doesn't seem to be kicking on a daily basis. Although I don't think this is a direct correlation to my diet, I think it's indirectly associated with my bodily digestions that then effects my endo. Not a proven hypothesis, but I do see a difference.

I haven't had ice cream in 2 weeks. I'll say that again...I haven't had ice cream in 2 weeks. And that means real or soy ice cream. That's got to be a record. I won't lie, I'd like to have some, but I don't need it.

I believe that's all the changes I've seen so far. Once again, these may be related to my diet change, maybe not. The bottom line....I'll take them and I'll keep up this raw stuff.

Endometriosis Awareness Month

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month. Please help in spreading awareness and understanding by signing this petition....
Online petition - Create Endometriosis Awareness & Understanding

Broken

After such an excellent moment yesterday that lead to a good post. I'm sorry to upset those with this "down" post.

First off, I arrived home to find that my deductible I met last year was not credited to the change over in insurance in October. Meaning anything I had performed after the change over is not covered. Not too happy about that.....considering I already know I will owe over $150 presently, and that's without another test that I'm still waiting for the bill. (sigh)

Then we got a large envelope from Veterans Affairs. For those that don't know David has been suffering from a multitude of problems from during and after his military experience. Too many to list here. Not to mention, some of them quite personal. Back when he got out of the Marine Corps he filed for disability. Surprisingly he rated for a small amount. However, we weren't just happy for the disability rating, but more importantly that he had service connected coverage (if it's service connected you can go to the VA for treatment and it's covered.) As time goes on some of his problems that were supposedly "diagnosed" (with no successful treatments) have gotten worse. One of them being consistent non-stop pain. It wasn't until he self-diagnosed himself with fibromyalgia, with multiple doctors confirming the diagnosis, that he has had some "relief." Most of the relief has come from knowing what he has. Unfortunately the physical relief hasn't been much. As with endometriosis there is no cure for fibromyalgia. You just hope to keep it at bay with medications. After being diagnosed, determining that the military misdiagnosed/undiagnosed him, and having the conditions worsen, he decided that it was time to seek some form of disability through the VA. Not necessarily monetary, but at least service connected. While seeking further disability he had multiple other problems addressed during the process. After going through the process and hearing multiple legal people and doctors say that he should have rated for a higher disability long ago (in other words, "it's in the bag."), I must admit it was hard not to get our hopes up. We tried to keep ourselves in check. Fast forward 5 months later......

You know that VA envelope that we received today? Yes, that was the decision in regards to David's disability. And guess what it said. No further service connection disability granted. I read the 8 pages or so thoroughly. I couldn't keep my head from shaking in disbelief. Once again, it was hard not to be hopeful, but we couldn't believe it. Not only could I not believe no further service connection was granted, but as I read their reasons why they chose not to.....For instance, it was stated to the effect of, "Since fibromyalgia wasn't brought up until 2009 this is not service connected." Are you kidding me? True, the word Fibromyalgia was not mentioned prior to 2009, because it was never diagnosed as such. But look at his medical history. Everything aligns back then, to his symptoms now. The list goes on, all in the same sense.

So, where does that leave us? We can appeal. We will appeal. Thankfully we have some connections that should be able to help us. In addition, we have copies of 90% of David's medical history from the military. Once again, it'd be excellent to get monetary disability, but mostly what we're looking for is service connection.

The military broke my husband. In more ways than one. Most people, even the ones we know, have no idea what he went through while he was serving. And although him and I talk about everything I wouldn't be surprised if there are stories that I haven't heard. From the outside no one would know his history or what he's presently going through. He's a genuine nice guy that goes about his business day to day.

Some may think I'm mad. No. I'm sad. I'm not looking for a pity party. But sometimes I must admit, it's hard to face certain things. Here we are at 26 and 28, both with multiple health problems that most people never deal with, or will only deal with when they are older. I shake my head, but hey, those are the cards we've been dealt.

Take That Endo

I'll be honest. My running habits suck. I haven't run in about 2 months. Probably more. I've been trying to maintain some "athleticism" using the 'rents stationary bike (thanks mom and dad) several times a week. But you know that's nothing compared to a daily run. A couple years ago I ran through the winter months. I'd bundle up and go. Last year I chickened out and used the high school fitness center (thankful for an indoor option). I don't know what happened this year. Actual, I do know what happened. Endometriosis. I know it's not all the endometriosis....it's also mental. And somehow I just haven't had that mental drive to bust through the barriers I've unfortunately set for myself.

Running isn't what it used to be for me. I wish it was. At the same time I'm glad it's not. Such mixed feelings on the subject. I want to run. I want to run another half marathon. I don't know if I will, but I'm keeping my options open. I'd like to think if I had a "race" to train for it'd be fire under my butt to get out.

With all that being said....guess what?! I took a run outside today. I was about to get ready to head over to the 'rents to ride the bike and something in me said, "Go outside and run." I'll admit I took a second and said to myself, "Are you crazy? It's still cold outside." The the other half said, "Do it." At that moment I thought, "I better go before I talk myself out of it." And so I bundled myself up and took a run outside. I didn't go very far, but I did it. I didn't know how it'd be after taking such a long break from running. I thought I'd go back to square one. Well, it wasn't square one, but it was rough. Let's just say, lots of snot, lots of spit, and the challenge of fighting back the thoughts of "Why the hell am I doing this," or "Just stop running," and replacing them with, "Yes! I'm actually running! I'm so proud of myself."

As said before, my running has not only been limited by my mental thoughts, but also physically. My guess is I'm not out of my running funk. Who knows, it may be another 2 months before my next run.....depending on my mental strength and endometriosis flare ups. But today, in this moment, I'm going to take this run as a personal triumph, as I say, "Take that Endo!"

Here We Go, One More Time, Everybody's Feeling Fine

I have finally put my foot down on myself. (Or atleast I'd like to think so) I've actually made it out to run multiple times within this past week. Say what?! You heard right. And thankfully, although runs are never all that pleasant, things are falling back into place quicker than expected. Pretty cool. I'm not busting out any crazy mileage or speed. Just taking it easy and taking it as it comes. I'm hoping to keep my motivation up and to stay healthy so I can keep running. I kind of laugh at that statement given I'll never be 100% healthy. Hmmmm, what would be a better way to restate that? I'm hoping to keep my motivation up and use that to overcome discomfort and any mental blocks. Better? Sounds good to me.

Changing subjects, but not really.....I'm doing pretty well with my endo. There's no doubt that it's there on a daily basis, but for the most part I can deal with it. As for the bills, well, they're still a comin'. I'd like to say I can see an end since I've met my "out-of-pocket," but by the time I even get close to paying it off the new calendar year will start. What does that mean? I start all over from $0 paid towards my deductible/out-of-pocket. Although David's insurance isn't perfect, it's better than mine. I'd love to be on his plan, but if my job offers coverage I have to take it...my job does offer coverage. I could add his as a secondary insurance but that would be an additional $100+ a month. Ouch. We're trying to weigh the pros and cons, and believe it'd be best to pick it up as secondary, but when you don't have that $100 to fork over every month (no matter if you're healthy or not), it's not going to happen.

Enough about money/insurance woes. I'm happy to be back out pounding pavement and will take advantage of the high it's giving me.

Post Op

I had my post-op check today for my laparoscopy. All looks well and I checked out fine. I got to "ooh and ahh" at pictures from the procedure. It was nice to speak with the doctor and confirm that yes, the pain I've been feeling is truly endometriosis....I pointed where the pain was and he said, "Yes, that's the exact spot where it was located on your bladder." So, how am I feeling? Meh. Better than before, but I'll admit that I have moments or even days when the pain doesn't want to let up.

As I stated previously, there's no cure for this. But, I was able to talk to my doctor about treatment options. The main thing is that although birth control is no longer needed in our situation, staying on it helps to control the endo and limit the discomfort. Instead of taking a week off each month I'll stay on it constantly for 4 months, then take a week break, then back on for another 4 months. As with anything, there are side effects and it may not work, but it's worth a try. Another option is Lupron. The short explanation of how this would work: it'd put me into menopause. Given my mild symptoms this is currently not a treatment option I'd like to venture into. But it is available. And then, of course there's further laparascopy as a treatment. Basically, if I get very painful again, meaning there's further presence of endo, they'd go back in and do the procedure over, lasering endo and any adhesions. More than likely this will be something I'll have to do again in the future. I've met someone who's had 7 laparascopies. In addition to the treatments I have listed, there are other options. Through the help of others, I've found that many individuals use a combination of western and eastern medicine techniques to help their situations. As always, I'm open to my options and am willing to try different things.

So where am I at this moment? I will try to continue my life as I had previously done. I've also received clearance to run again (it's been about 2 months....yikes, I best ease into that again, eh?). Yes, I will have discomfort that I'll have to live with. If it gets worse I'll need to address it as necessary.

My big question....what will hit first next time.....kidney stones or the endo? Hmmmm. That's a concern of mine, how will I know which is which? According to my doctor the endo discomfort is more continuous and strengthening as time goes on, while the kidney stone would be more sudden. I know I'll be blessed in the future with both of these occurences. Only time will tell.

Sinking In

This morning was my first "down" time since my surgery/diagnosis. I could blame it on hormones, but I think it's finally kicking in that yes, I may be dealing with this chronic pain, permanently, most likely, for the rest of my life. The past three months have sucked, but I continued looking for a diagnosis and an answer to my problem. Something that would make it all better and make the pain go away. Fortunately, I have a diagnosis. Unfortunately, there's nothing truly to fix the problem. It's basically a crap shoot of trying multiple approaches, hoping something works for you. Even if it gives some ease momentarily.

My active life has been put on hold. I can only hope that this is short term and that someday I'll be able to be back running daily. Right now I'd just like to be able to return to my OCD self and keep up with my cleaning, without thinking, "Am I over doing it?" I've had someone with me 24/7 and am thankful for all of the help. (Love you mom, dad, and david!)

I'm going to continue with hope that my discomfort may ease as my incisions ease, however, that's not where most of my discomfort is coming from. The discomfort is coming from the same area where it was coming from pre-surgically. Since I've never been through this I didn't/don't know what to expect. Day-to-day I'm going blindly, based on my own personal research, grasping at any knowledge I can find.

I know this is a "down" day and acknowledge it. Some things will get better. But right now I'm still letting things sink in and wondering about all of the unknowns.

Answer

On Tuesday I had my laparoscopy. Finally, I have an answer to my current discomfort. Endometriosis. I’m thankful to finally have a diagnosis. 2 spots were found during the laparoscopy and they were lasered off. My incisions are small, one in my belly button, one above my pubic bone. With that being said I’m a bit sore and thankful for the medications and sleep. I’m not exactly sure what the next step is in the process. I have already found an abundance of information on the Internet and surprisingly I was linked up with someone through a Twitter post. I do know that I have an appointment in 2 weeks with the doctor and hope to get a game plan together. There is no cure for endometriosis, as with kidney stones. The average age of endo diagnosis is 27 years and most have the disease approximately 9 years before diagnosis.

I never imagined at the age of 26 I’d have these medical problems. Add onto that the medical problems David has...whew, what a whirlwind. However, I am once again thankful for what we do have and many of the decisions we’ve made. For instance, my becoming a vegetarian. After these problems reared their ugly head, I looked at my entire life/lifestyle thinking, “Am I doing something wrong?” With the kidney stones, yes some of my supplements can encourage formation, which I have now changed. However, when it comes to diet/exercise, I’m doing things right. And when it comes to endo, some meats may encourage the severity. I’m not here promoting vegetarianism to prevent problems, but I do know my diet should not cause further problems. Next, David’s and my decision not to have children. We’ve had a strong conviction for awhile that parenthood wasn’t for us. Endometriosis doesn’t mean infertility, however there is a pretty good chance that this could occur. Having already made the choice on our own that we do not want to have children gave me peace of mind. So instead of that choice being taken away from us due to my diagnosis, we had already made the choice on our own. Of course, I do wish things happened in a different order and that David didn’t have to go through a vasectomy, but you can’t change the past.

As with everything, the future is unknown and we’ll take it one step at a time.

No Answers....Yet

My day in a nutshell....woke up after sleeping about 1/2 hour, went to work, called doctor for IVP results, left message, nurse called back, IVP results were negative, left work, went to ER, in ER all day having tests performed, LOTS of waiting, ruled out more options, doctor wanted to send me home without definitive diagnosis and for me to "call the doctor Tuesday," I said no and wanted something further done, that I've been patient enough for 2 months, I've gone through 4 doctors searching for a diagnosis, requested transfer or anything that can help the situation, gynecological doctor on call came down, actually listened to my history, gave me options, going with a laparoscopy on the 29th, basically an exploratory surgery using scopes through my belly button. Will still have to wait for answers, but that's due to pre-certification, etc. I've waited this long, I know I can be patient a bit more. Just thankful to have someone once again listening and being proactive. I have a gameplan and something to work towards.

Next Time On Medical Mysteries....

It's 3:26am and I'm up, fully awake. If I didn't feel like shit I could easily go for a run....but of course, that's not an option. I've been tossing and turning in bed since 2:48am and figured I better leave David and Viking alone so that I don't ruin their sleep too. As everyone knows quite well, I've been dealing with abdominal pain for the past 2 months. After basically demanding an appointment (a month ago), my appointment arrived on Wednesday. I felt that my urologist heard what I had to say. I was not bitchy but made it known that I've gotten lost in the shuffle and something needs to be done for me, and soon. I learned a lot at my appointment. For instance, the stones that are present were present on my original ct scan in March. In addition, those stones are located in my kidneys....stones in kidneys don't make you hurt. Oh, and the pain with kidney stones....that's not from them moving (like I was told by the office), it's from them obstructing or partially obstructing flow. My most recent ct scan revealed I still had kidney stones, but nothing in my ureter that should be causing this pain. Keep in mind, the stone that was obstructing last time was considered punctate. It had caused enough irritation to cause inflammation and obstruct.

So, where are we at right now? My doctor wasn't too happy about me falling through the cracks and acknowledged that. He's not 100% sure that this is stone related. There are subtle signs that point away from this being stone related. I had an IVP performed yesterday in hopes of determining if kidney stones are the problem. (The IVP prep was basically what you'd do for a colonscopy....yeah, shitting water for hours straight, not fun). In my opinion I have a 50/50 chance of this being the case. There are approximately 5 other options, including appendicitis. I'm supposed to find out the IVP results today (Friday). After that our gameplan will be made.

I do know this, I'm ready to be fully diagnosed and treated. I'd appreciate it if this could be done before we end up in the poor house and before I go crazy. I'm thankful to have insurance, but when I'm constantly receiving bills for my issues, and attempting to pay them off, I feel like I'm about to lose my mind. I'm also ready to be "me" again. I haven't had a full night's sleep in about 2 months. I wake up cramped in the fetal position every few hours. It's hard to work oftentimes because my mind is not focused. Not to mention, the lack of sleep doesn't help. Running has basically been out of the question. And the nausea. Gah! I have yet to vomit, but that's not saying much. I have a pretty strong stomach, but let me tell you, that vomit is right up in my throat, just ready at any moment. The pain. Oh, the pain. It's constant. It's not necessarily "double over" pain consistently, but it's there and wants to be felt.

So, that's where I'm at. I'm here, fully awake at 4am, and it's about to put me over the edge. I'm trying to be patient, counting down the hours until I receive results from my test, but I must admit I don't know how much more of this I can stomach....literally.

Guess it's too late....Just as I was finishing this entry I made it to the bathroom in time to vomit. Guess my nausea with no vomiting streak is over......

Struggle

My kidney stones are still present, but I have an appointment with the doctor this week. I have continually fought the mental battle of running the past year or so and the kidney stone issue isn't helping one bit. I've taken time off (even before the stones), but that didn't help. I know what I need to do, get up and move, but when you're hurting it just doesn't happen. I've gained wait, feel unfit, and when I do run I'm not seeing those miraculous goals happening like they were when I was new to running. The concept of running was hard at the beginning, but the pounds melting off was a huge payoff (that's not happening now). Then I started to eat healthy and I felt like a machine. Of course I wasn't close to being a machine, but I felt the best I've ever have in my life. At the same time I was so obsessed with running and what was being put in my mouth that I felt like I was also becoming a robot. I started to back off a bit so I could become more human....unfortunately that backing off lead to slacking, which has lead me to where I am now. I feel like a broken record, because I know I've blogged about this multiple times, but I'm hoping at some point a lightbulb will go on and I'll find my motivation to get my ass moving regularly and find that happy medium. In the meantime our work schedules are back to the "school schedule," so hopefully that will help. I'm also thinking about signing up for this run. (virtually of course). It's an excellent cause and you can't help but love the mascot, eh? And as always, if you have a run you're working towards, even if not competitively, that helps you get out and moving

Wall

Last week I hit a wall. You know, one of those imaginary walls your mind and body slam into? I was tired, in pain, and just worn out bother physically and mentally. Thankfully I was able to take an afternoon off at work, get a massage, and just relax...or relax as much as I can relax. I also ceased running for the past week. Just trying to get everything back in line. At this point I'm still having the pain issues with the kidney stone, but my stress level has come down a few notches....for the time being. I will say, it's just over a month until we leave for Puerto Rico and boy are we ready. I don't want to get my hopes up but I am hoping for a relaxing vacation. Even still, having our vacation within reach gives me peace of mind. Just got to keep my eye on the prize.

Drink, Drink, Drink

Last week I broke down and had a CT scan performed. My discomfort wasn't getting any better on the antibiotics and I figured it was time to take the next step. Yesterday I received the results. It looks like I have 2 more stones present. At this time they are a "passable size" per the doctor's office. As expected I was unable to get straight answers. Like, "How long should this go on before we need to intervene?" I was just told to continue with "lots and lots of fluids." Unfortunately this has been going on for almost 3 weeks now. The pain is still present and has not moved. I'm going to continue my fluids and if I have no further progress by next week I'll have to make another call. Something I never found out was the size of my last stone. Which leads me to my next question. I've now had 3 stones in 4 months. The doctor said that I shouldn't worry about my diet after the first stone because it could be a one time deal. Obviously that's not the case. I'd really like to address this issue but am unsure what to do at this time. This "problem" I have was inherited, however there our ways that I can encourage stone formation...or inhibit too. The only changes I've seen within the past year was my change to becoming a vegetarian and running. I've looked real deep at both of those changes and honestly don't think they have been that big of changes that should have caused these problems. True, I no longer eat meat, but I didn't eat much meat before. I was lucky to have meat once a day, if that, before. Soy can cause problems, but I don't really eat much soy. As for my running, I've actually decreased my running distance. So I dunno.

As for now I'll drink, drink, drink. David has already warned me that he's about to strap his Camelbak to my back. I'll pass on that. Bottoms up!

Pain And Nausea

Last Thursday I started to have abdominal pain and nausea. I thought to myself, "oh boy. here we go again. another stone." It wasn't the intense pain I had last time but it was the dull constant pain that had presented itself before the last stone. I started pounded down fluids to no avail. I have the ability to perform radiographs, so I did so on myself. I didn't see anything. Come Monday I still had pain and nausea. I made a call to my urologist and they sent an order for a KUB (kidney, ureter, bladder) radiograph....basically what I already did. Although I knew it would come up negative, I went through the actions. I promptly left work and had the radiograph performed. I was told my doctor would get back to me as soon as he saw the radiograph and that it was being sent to him immediately. I was patient. There was no call Monday. No call Tuesday. Wednesday comes and I make a call only to hear, "Oh, your doctor is out of the office for another week and a half." You're kidding, right? So I ask if someone else can look at the radiograph. They say, "sure" and they'll have someone call me. No call Wednesday. No call Thursday. I call Thursday afternoon, and am on hold for forever, then someone comes back to the line and says, "It's negative. They'd recommend a cat scan now." Once again, following their recommendation, I tell them I'm open to time and date, but would prefer morning if at all possible. They say they'll call me back. In the meantime I run a urinalysis on myself. Sure enough there's bacteria present. Not to mention my pH is sky high....could be because I'm a vegetarian. Wouldn't it be smart to start with a basic urinalysis before exposing myself to a cat scan's radiographs and cost? They call me back and leave a message saying a cat scan isn't available until the end of next week. Right. I give them a call this morning and basically say, "I'm not trying to tell you what to do, but I really don't know if a cat scan is the appropriate direction right now. Can't we start with a urinalysis?" I went on to explain that I have the ability and have done one myself and gave my results. I also stated that I have a culture and sensitivity running on it as well. They still stand by the thought that a cat scan should be run. But they can put it past the other doctor on MONDAY. So what they're telling me is, even if I have a cat scan (which can't be done until next week anyway) I'm still going to be sitting through the weekend with this abdominal pain and nausea. I've had pain/nausea for over a week and I have yet to talk to an actual doctor or even have an exam offered. In the meantime I believe I have a kidney infection that continues to fester. I have put in a call to my family doctor, but unfortunately I have a feeling this issue will not be addressed anytime soon. Frustration has set in.